Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 11: Visiting Snape and Hermione's "Plan"

DAY 14

The telephone rang loudly at 9:30 a.m. Ginny ran to get it. "Hello?"

A pleasant female voice on the end asked, "Hello, is this Miss Weasley, or Miss Granger?"

Ginny was frightened. Was someone stalking her?

"Um, how did you get my name?"

The person laughed. "I'm from the hospital. Your friend, erm, Severus, sustained some severe head wounds, a broken leg, and a fractured rib. Or two, actually; see, some people die when they fly through dashboards, but some are very lucky to live, like your friend. He'll be staying here a while longer, but you can come visit him today."

"Oh, um, which hospital are you from again?"

"Oh, it's just a boring name, Surrey Hospital. You'll find the address in the directory, I'm sure. Come by when you can."

"Okay, thanks." She hung up.

All the teenagers had entered the kitchen now.

"Guys, Snape has to stay in Surrey Hospital for a little while longer. I think we've done pretty well for two weeks, or most of us have…" she glared at Ron and Draco. "Anyway, we should visit him, at least the nurse on the phone said we should. So let's go say hi today!"

Harry asked, "What is wrong with him?"

"Head wounds, fractured rib, and a broken leg."

"Good."

"It is NOT good!"

"Of course it's good! The number of times he's tried to jinx me, I mean, seriously! What about the snake in second year, hm? Or Occlumency last year? Or even this year, with nonverbal spells? What is wrong with him? He deserves some pain!"

Ginny frowned. "Be nice. So, are we going?"

Everyone nodded to each other, even Harry, and said, "Yes."

"Good. Should we bring him a present? How about mints, or something small, like that?"

Hermione nodded. "Okay."

That afternoon, the five set off for Surrey Hospital.

They stopped by a small drugstore on the busy avenue to purchase some mints, like Ginny had said to do.

They soon arrived at the hospital.

A snooty receptionist sat at the desk. She was blonde, had long, purple nails, and her nose was, literally, in the air. Draco approached her, tentatively.

"Erm, excuse me…"

"Yes?" she inquired in an arch, affected, sophisticated tone. She looked over Draco with displeasure, taking in his pink hair. Draco had gotten pretty used to it by now, so her stares did not bother him that much.

"We'd like to see Severus Snape."

"Very well. Ward 34, down this corridor, to the left. You can't miss it. Radicals," she muttered.

The group set off for the ward.

Harry was counting. "Ward twenty-nine, thirty, better get this over with soon, thirty-three, thirty… here it is!" He pulled open the door and they filed in.

Snape was sitting in a polka-dotted nightshirt under the covers. Not a pretty sight. His head was tightly bound with several layers of bandages and he was reading People Magazine with a disgusted look on his face. Now there is nothing wrong with People Magazine, but it was not to Snape's taste. He looked up and saw his group. "Ah, hello Draco! And… Potter, Granger, and Weasleys."

Ginny smiled. "Hi Professor! We just wanted to drop by and see how you're doing, and give you these." She placed the package of peppermints on the bed.

Snape looked at them. He was slightly touched, though he succeeded at not displaying it. "How nice. Thank you, Miss Weasley."

Draco spoke up. "So, Professor, how are you?"

"Well, I'm in here longer than I expected, just two more days, damn hospital. They can't even Heal you like normal Healers. Instead, they prescribe remedies such as 'rest' and 'casts' and something funny called and 'X-Ray'," grumbled Snape. "They force to don a shirt that is open in the back, and old ladies point at the uncovered part of you, stare at it, and make odd comments about it, then they place you underneath an amazingly bright light and take strange pictures with it."

Ron asked, "You will be getting out in two days then, right?"

"Of course, Weasley. Unless something awful happens to me within the next two days, which I highly doubt. What could happen here?"

Which, readers, was not a good assumption to make.

Ten minutes later, they'd left Surrey Hospital. Hermione tried to be nice to the snooty receptionist, who didn't even answer her kind goodbye. Coming to Hermione's "rescue", valiant Ron gave the receptionist a very rude hand gesture. The receptionist shrieked and turned away, quickly. Harry was laughing, but Hermione was somewhat angry. "Can't you control yourself, Ronald?"

Ron didn't answer. He was too busy savoring the memory of the irate receptionist whipping away, as well as the memory of Snape in red polka dots.

They chattered away on the subject of Muggles and their "Healing" powers.

Ginny was doubtful of real Muggle medical miracles and was convinced that they never worked (supported by her father's failed attempt the year before to Heal himself with stitches, assisted by the Trainee Healer of St. Mungo's).

Hermione was fairer, as she was a Muggle herself and knew that Muggles were fairly gifted in the medicine area.

Ron sided with Ginny, as he thought that magic was much more practical than Muggle remedies.

Harry agreed with Hermione, being raised in a Muggle family.

Draco didn't even bother to argue.

They were so busy talking and arguing, that they didn't see the Dursleys in their yard as they walked into Private Drive.

Unfortunately, Uncle Vernon was feeling particularly belligerent at that moment. When Hermione called out, "Hello!" he yelled, "Take your abnormalities elsewhere!" He had realized who they were, as Aunt Petunia had enlightened him, when he came home from work, the day of Snape' accident.

Hermione looked shocked. She didn't know how someone could remain so unpleasant. She was especially angry when Uncle Vernon yelled, "And keep that weird nephew of ours away from Dudley! We don't want him mixing with all you people!"

Hermione was, as I said, especially angry. How could he keep treating Harry like this? This was the last straw. She would do something about it. She would pull a Ginny. And she'd pull it on the perfect Dursleys…

A/N: Okay, so, yeah, that's cool! So anyway to preview the next chapter… the Dursleys get pranked by Hermione and just to spite you, Myrtle darling, Snape is somewhat okay, but not really. (Myrtle Thinks: You Stink! I LOVE Snape! How dare you harm him?) See you all!